Taylor Swift has spent over a decade giving us indelible singles across a variety of styles — first in country music, next in a sugary brand of country-pop, then in radio-conquering pop, and most recently in an indie-rock mode that upended fan expectations. With the recent debut of Folklore yielding yet another No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the biggest hits from all eight of her proper full-lengths, one of which included three No. 1 smashes.
Check out the highest-charting Hot 100 hit from all eight of Taylor Swift’s studio albums, from her 2006 self-titled debut to 2020’s Folklore:
Taylor Swift (2006):
“Teardrops On My Guitar,” No. 13 peak
Released when Swift was just 16 years old, her self-titled debut remains the kind-hearted country introduction that helped pave the way for the career that followed. Although Taylor Swift is her only album not to top the Billboard 200 chart (it reached No. 5) or to include a top 10 Hot 100 hit, it did send five singles into the latter chart’s top 40 — first with “Tim McGraw,” which reached No. 40, and next with the stirring “Teardrops on My Guitar,” which peaked at No. 13 on the tally.
Fearless (2008):
“You Belong With Me,” No. 2 peak
Fearless was the moment that Swift transitioned from a promising singer-songwriter to an undeniable star, not only accruing the first blockbuster album sales of her career but also winning the Grammy for album of the year when Swift was 20 years old. The album also earned Swift the first top 10 hits of her career, first with the heartfelt “Love Story,” which peaked at No. 4, and then with “You Belong With Me,” a detailed country-pop confection that made it to No. 2 on the chart (the Fearless title track also peaked at No. 9).
Speak Now (2010):
“Mine,” No. 3 peak
The coronation of Fearless led to heightened anticipation for Swift’s third full-length, and 2010’s Speak Now, a sprawling country-pop pastiche, was preceded by “Mine,” a storytelling masterstroke that was one of five top 40 hits on the album. The fanfare around the release of Speak Now also helped it become the first of four straight Swift albums to debut with over 1 million units in its first week on the Billboard 200 chart.
Red (2012):
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” No. 1 peak
Two years before Swift switched from country-pop to full-on pop, she dipped her toe further into the mainstream on 2012’s Red and scored her first career No. 1 single. Co-written and co-produced by Max Martin, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” marked a major milestone for Swift, and while the breakup sing-along was the only Hot 100 chart-topper from the album, “I Knew You Were Trouble” also became a top 40 radio behemoth and peaked at No. 2.
1989 (2014):
“Shake It Off,” “Blank Space” & “Bad Blood” feat. Kendrick Lamar, No. 1 peaks
Here we have Swift’s most pronounced run of Hot 100 dominance: with 1989, her pivot to pop that notched the biggest first-week album debut of her career (1.287 million), Swift also scored multiple No. 1 singles from the same album for the first (and so far only) time in her career. After first two singles “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” reached the summit, a Kendrick Lamar-assisted remix of “Bad Blood,” along with a star-studded music video, powered that track to No. 1 as well (the album’s other singles, “Wildest Dreams” and “Style,” peaked at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively).
Reputation (2017):
“Look What You Made Me Do,” No. 1 peak
The darker electro-pop single preceding the left turn of 2017’s Reputation made it three straight Swift albums with a lead single that reached the Hot 100 summit. “Look What You Made Me Do” samples the melody of Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1992; a quarter-century later, the members were back on top, this time credited as co-writers on Swift’s propulsive hit.
Lover (2019):
“ME!” feat. Brendon Urie & “You Need To Calm Down,” No. 2 peaks
Swift may have collected a few more No. 1 singles in 2019 if not for “Old Town Road” — the Lil Nas X smash and its Billy Ray Cyrus-assisted remix broke the record for the longest run atop the Hot 100 chart, and blocked both “ME!” (featuring Panic! At the Disco leader Brendon Urie) and “You Need To Calm Down” from reaching the summit ahead of Lover’s release. Along with the two No. 2 hits, Swift also hit the top 10 with the Lover title track, which peaked at No. 10.
Folklore (2020):
“Cardigan,” No. 1 peak
With the No. 1 debut of “Cardigan” following the surprise release of eighth studio album Folklore, Swift became the first artist to start atop the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts in the same week. The understated lead single, produced and co-written by The National’s Aaron Dessner, also represented Swift’s sixth No. 1 single, while “The 1” and “Exile” from Folklore also started in the top 10 of the Hot 100, at Nos. 4 and 6, respectively.
